


i've got a feeling this year is for me and you

by reformedcharacter



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Robron Secret Santa, just a lot of Fluff really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 09:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13143423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reformedcharacter/pseuds/reformedcharacter
Summary: robert and aaron enjoy their first christmas away from home.





	i've got a feeling this year is for me and you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beautifulhigh (imaginentertain)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginentertain/gifts).



> this is my gift for jen (beautifulhigh) for robron secret santa 2017. i hope you enjoy!

“It’s gonna be weird, innit?”

“What is?”

Aaron’s in the kitchen, propped up against the counter with a steaming cup of tea in his hand. He’s sleep-soft, dark brown curls flat against his forehead, his face is flushed from the cold, bright pink cheeks contrasting against his pale skin. He’s got his dressing gown on, the battered blue one that Robert’s been begging to burn for months, it’s fraying at the edges, sleeves pulled tight around his hands that are wrapped around the mug.

There’s a bird screeching outside the window; if he strains hard enough he can hear the crashing of the waves against the rocks too. Scarborough is freezing; the cottage cold enough you can almost see his breath.

He’s wearing his slippers too, the ones that make his feet shuffle against the wooden floor of the cottage even louder than normal, the ones that make Robert snort behind his hand, call his husband an old man and then duck from the cushion being tossed at his head, another ’40 isn’t that far off’ jibe that’s become the norm muttered around the buttered toast Aaron’s shoving into his mouth. It’s disgustingly domestic, really.

“Liv, not being here, for Christmas.”

 

Sandra had decided to take Liv away for the holidays; Liv announcing the news as soon as Robert had walked through the door, almost pouncing on him in her excitement. Robert had been quietly overjoyed, a whole three weeks of _AaronRobertAaronRobert_ until he saw his husbands face. His eyebrows were knotted, eyes dark as Liv rushed upstairs to pack, phone in hand ready to call Gabby. He’d sloped off into the kitchen (‘ _I need to do the dishes’_ mumbled under his breath) dragging his feet and standing by the sink, not turning on the tap. Robert dumped his briefcase by the sofa, pulling his tie loose, a day of meetings in Leeds not preparing him for Liv’s news or Aaron’s sour mood, and fell into step behind him.

He can hear Aaron huffing out a breath as he slides up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him tight to his chest, tucking his chin in the crook of Aaron’s neck.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“Call me that again and you’re sleeping in the shed, pal.”

Robert barely manages to dodge the elbow headed towards his side, as Aaron sighs louder and turns around in Robert’s arms, wrapping his arms around Robert’s neck and pulling the sleeves of his hoodie over his knuckles.

Robert rubs the side of Aaron’s waist with his fingertips, light touches reassuring him as he leans forward, capturing Robert’s lips in his; his hands find their way into Robert’s short hair as Aaron pulls back slightly, brushing his nose again Robert’s in a gentle touch, a small smile growing on his face.

“Is it about Liv?” Robert’s voice was gruff, eyelids heavy as he takes in his husband, “her going away and all that?”

 Aaron shrugs his shoulders slightly and lets his arms fall from Robert’s hair, and moves out of his hold, shuffling away from him and throwing himself onto the sofa, distracting himself by flicking through the TV, which Robert only just realised had been left on from before Liv’s announcement.

“Dunno, it’s just gonna be my first Christmas without her. Dunno how I feel about it.”

 Robert follows his lead and finds himself slouching on the sofa, toeing his shoes off and kicking them underneath the coffee table, (‘ _What’s the point of your poncy shoe rack if even you don’t use it?’_ )

“But it’s not though, you’ve had Christmases without her before.”

 “Yeah, I know, it’s just, I don’t know, it’d feel weird, the whole family not being here.” He mumbled, fingers picking at the sticker on the back of the remote. There’s a blush rising on his cheeks, embarrassed even in front of Robert. He glances back up at him in time to see a softness falling over Robert’s face, a smile on his mouth almost lighting up his face.

“Don’t go all soft on me, I know it’s embarrassing.”

 “It’s not embarrassing.” Robert leans over slightly and pulls the remote out of his hand, tossing it onto the sofa, and grasped Aaron’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers and shuffling closer slightly.

 “Who knew? Aaron Dingle: Secret softie?”

“Yeah, shut it”

“We could always go away too, ya know?” Aaron can almost see the gears in motion behind Robert’s eyes, the idea forming in seconds.

“What you on about?”

 “We go away; rent a cottage, or go to a B&B, have our own little Christmas.”

“You serious? What about mum? Or Vic and Diane?”

 “What about them? I am thirty-two years old, if I wanna take my gorgeous husband away for Christmas in a cottage by the coast, I can.”

 The small smile on Aaron’s face widens, his head starts nodding before he even realises.

 “I’d like that.”

 

So that’s what they did.

 

Robert had found a place; a tiny little thing, clean white walls and creaking floorboards, the overwhelming scent of mothballs and vanilla candles, a broken microwave and too small bathtub. It was home for the week. It was perfect.

Aaron had woken Christmas morning, in the, also, too small bed, to Robert pressed against his side, his face buried in Aaron’s neck, quiet snores falling from his mouth as he scrunched his nose, burying his face even further. He’d managed to remove Robert from his side, his husband like a six-foot leech when he wants to be, and grabbed his dressing gown, pulling it over his already pyjama clad shoulders.

Robert had found him half an hour later, tea in his hand, frown on his face and bread in the toaster. He’d thrown himself on the sofa, dressed in a dark green dressing gown himself, it had creaked underneath his weight, Robert almost grunting in unison.

 

“Yeah, it’ll be weird without her, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good.”

 Aaron snaps back into reality with a jolt at Robert’s words, his husband staring up at him with a sleepy smile on his face. He spins around, grabbing the toast from the toaster and quickly spreading the butter on top, deciding to skip the jam as he stumbles over to the sofa, already forcing the bread into his mouth, before flopping down by his husband.

 “I guess”

 “You guess? Careful there my head just might explode from how big my ego’s getting.”

“Nothing wrong with your ego, mate. Case in point.” He points to Robert’s bare chest, freckles peering out from underneath his dressing gown, clearly naked under the fabric.

“Hey! I’m just being proactive, we both know as soon as I give you my present I won’t need anything on under here.”

“So, you’re saying you’re not my present? That’s disappointing, I was hoping I’d get to unwrap you.”  Aaron snorts, toast crumbs falling onto his chest. Robert rolls his eyes as he stands, bones clicking as he steps into the kitchen, Aaron dumping his plate on the small coffee table in front of him.

“I’m afraid your awful line didn’t work, so you’ll have to make do with what I got you.”

 Robert strides back into the small living room, large gift bag in hand, and resumes his place on the sofa. The gift bag is bright red and plastic and Aaron reaches for the tag as soon as Robert passes it over, sitting it in his laps.

 

‘ _To Aaron,_

_Merry Christmas,_

_I Love you._

_Rob x’_

Aaron smiles, Robert’s almost illegible scrawl sending a shiver down his spine. It’s familiar now, an ‘I love you’ falling from Robert’s lips on a daily basis, but it’s still a novelty, still makes a small smile grow on Aaron’s face, still makes him question how they even got here; sitting and exchanging gifts in their rented cottage, exchanging tired kisses against the kitchen countertop when they should be sleeping, hearts beating fast under their pyjamas.

“Are you just gonna stare at it, or will you actually open it?” Robert looks nervous suddenly, playing with the cord of his gown, running it through his fingers.

“I’m just taking my time; some people don’t just rip into their presents without thinking.”

“We’ll still be opening presents by my birthday if you don’t hurry up.” Robert nods his head towards the small pile of gifts in the corner, Chas deciding that if they weren’t spending Christmas with her, then she’s allowed to buy as many things as she pleased.

“Yeah, alright I’m doing it.”

Aaron picks at the tape keeping the bag closed, his fingertips becoming sticky as he peels it off and rolls it into a ball, placing it on the arm of the sofa, Robert nervously shuffling next to him.

It’s a frame, large and heavy as he pulls it out of the bag. It isn’t wrapped, Robert notoriously bad at it, despite how hard he tries to pretend otherwise.

He can almost hear Robert’s heart beating loudly next to him as he looks down. The frame is gorgeous, simply put, silver and subtle, but it’s what inside that confuses Aaron. 

It’s white, a dark black circle in the center, faint white lines crossing over one another. It’s shining, almost, the white circles looking like splats of ink underneath the thin glass.

At the top, in small writing it reads: ‘Robert and Aaron 20.02.2017.’

Aaron recognizes the date immediately, of course he does, but it doesn’t help to ease the confusion that’s obvious on his face. Eyebrows knotted as he glances back up at Robert, thumbs rubbing at the sides of the frame without a thought. 

“What is it?” His voice is low, gruff and quiet, as though he knows how important this is to his husband.

“It’s called a Star Map, this is what the stars looked like the night of our wedding. I thought it’d be nice, ya know, to have something to remember it by, other than our photos. We could put it up next to one in the living room, or in our bedroom, or you don’t have to put it up at all, not if you don’t want to.” He barely takes a breath, words falling out of his mouth quickly.

“Rob, you’re rambling.”

 “I’m sorry, I just really want you to like it. I have other things as well, like socks and stuff, if you think I’m being to sopp-“

 Aaron cuts him off with his lips, kissing him hard, a hand finding its way into the back of Robert’s head, fingers tugging slightly at the short hair, the other holding on tightly to the gift in his hand. Aaron pulls back slightly, but still close enough to hear Robert’s jagged breath, feel his nose against his, feel the flutter of Robert’s eyelashes against his cheek.

“I love it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

He nods his head slightly, brushes his lips against Robert’s, his husband’s hands resting against his waist, playing with the fabric of Aaron’s pyjamas.

“I’m glad you like it.”

His voice is soft, so characteristically of Robert, that Aaron feels his chest flutter, butterflies appear in the base of his stomach. It’s times like this he remembers just how, _soft_ his husband is, how lucky he is to have someone give him cheesy gifts that he’s definitely been planning for months, and definitely more expensive than the Broadchurch boxset he’s gone into Leeds for.

“If you want, we can go for a walk tonight, go see them or something.”

“See what? The stars?”

“Yeah, be like real gross teenagers and fuck in a field under the stars?”

Robert scrunches his nose, a small snort emerging as he rolls his eyes.

“I’d like that.”

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. But right now, I have other plans.” He takes the frame from Aaron’s laps, laying it down gently on the coffee table. His hands are soft, slow as the find their way up Aaron’s sides, pushing his thin pyjamas out of the way. His lips find Aaron’s cheek as he pushes him down slightly, his dressing gown falling from his shoulders, as his lips move towards Aaron’s neck, soft lips moving slowly against the base of his neck. Aaron pushes at his shoulders slightly, Robert’s lips not moving from where they are nestled,

“But I haven’t given you anything yet.”

“Yes, you have.”

 

It’s freezing, even colder than the cottage, and Aaron hates his sentimental self for dragging them both out here. Robert had driven them, a wide smile on his face as the left the small driveway, Robert’s car looking even more out of place here than it does at home. He managed to force Robert into a bobble hat, his groaning about hat hair falling on deaf ears.

 The hill is muddy, Aaron’s new trainers, courtesy of Vic, becoming scuffed and dirty. Robert’s hand is tight in his, his hand warm against the cold air.

“I think this is a good spot, yeah?”

It’s beautiful, the view out, the sky almost pitched black, white stars twinkling bright above them. You can see for miles, from where they’re stood, streetlights shockingly vivid, almost dazzling. Robert pulls him down, a picnic blanket appearing out of nowhere, and against his side. Robert wraps his arm around Aaron’s waist, the warmth from his body fighting against the biting cold. He smells good, the usual lingering smell of Robert’s aftershave overwhelming him as he cuddles further into Robert’s side. Although, he will deny any suggestion that the pair of them _cuddled._

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

There’s a smile on Robert’s face, and Aaron doesn’t know how he thought the lights were dazzling, when Robert’s here next to him.

“Yeah, it really is.”

 “Are you okay? You’re quiet.”

“Yeah, it’s just, it’s been a really good Christmas.”

They hadn’t had a Christmas dinner; Aaron looking on in horror at the steak dinner Robert had been preparing during his shower. But it had been perfect, sat in a cramped kitchen, knees knocking together, Robert’s eyes hardly leaving his as they ate, Aaron reaching out and grabbing at Robert’s hand, intertwining their fingers gently.

They ate, and drank, and sat huddled together underneath a blanket, the fluffy material a barrier against the broken heating. They’d watched ‘Love Actually’ on the small, static television, Aaron snorting at the cliché, Robert mouthing along the words.

It’s starting to snow, of course it is; light snowflakes drifting down slowly and nestling themselves in the grass around them. It’s bitterly cold, but Aaron feels warmer than ever.

“It has. Merry Christmas, Aaron.”

“Merry Christmas, Rob.”

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is robertsuggers for any feedback!


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